


Christmas Magic

by KasmiAnn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, christmas in july
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:35:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KasmiAnn/pseuds/KasmiAnn
Summary: During the first Christmas after the war, Hogwarts finds herself full for the holiday break. Will the magic of Christmas help mend those inside her walls?





	Christmas Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Christmas in July 2019, Dramione FanFiction Forum Facebook group
> 
> Inspired by my favorite Christmas song, "Believe" by Josh Groban.

Inside the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students piled around trunks and bins filled with Christmas decorations, excitedly discussing which ones should go on each of the 12 enormous trees Hagrid carried in that morning. The charmed ceiling was twinkling as magical snow drifted down on them, the smell of warm pumpkin juice and hot cocoa mixed with the fresh pine scent of the trees. After a staggering number of students signed up to stay over the holiday break, the Professors agreed that allowing the students to decorate the castle and help cook the Christmas feast would bring the spirit of Christmas back to those who remained within the walls. Many of those staying didn’t have a place to go this Christmas; some now orphaned due to the war, others with family members who were off still trying to capture the remaining Death Eaters on the run and a few even had parents who would be spending their Christmas in Azkaban. 

At the front of the hall, Draco Malfoy sat with a box of ribbons and ornaments staring intently at the tree in front of him. He was contemplating which of the trees from his childhood he liked the most so he could transfigure some of the ugly school decorations at his feet. So far he had this tree to himself, though he wasn’t surprised since most of his fellow students had avoided him all term. He was the only “8th year” Slytherin that returned, part of his probation after his trial in July. It was either finish his education and help rebuild Hogwarts or wandless janitorial work at the Ministry. He happily chose the former. 

“Can I join you?” A voice said behind Draco, breaking him out of his reverie. He turned around and found Hermione Granger standing there with a tentative smile on her face, her arms loaded with another box of decorations. Draco grunted in response and slid over so she could join him on the bench. He turned his head back towards the tree and squinted at it.

Hermione sat next to him, put her box down and pulled out a large gaudy star covered in cheap gold garland and charmed multi-colored lights.

“What are you looking at?” She asked him trying not to laugh at the look of confusion on his face.

“I’m trying to remember the details of one of the Christmas trees from when I was a kid,” He responded, glancing at her. He did a quick double-take and his jaw dropped. “What in the bloody hell is that?!”

Hermione jumped at his sudden outburst. “What? This?” She held up the star in her hand. “It’s a star for the top of the tree.” 

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. “That thing will not be going on the top of my tree,” he said gruffly. 

Hermione’s cheeks turned pink, “I-, ok, but -,” she stuttered,” all the other trees are spoken for and I -, I wanted to decorate one like my mum would do.” Her eyes quickly filled with tears and she blinked rapidly. 

Draco sighed and reached his hand out towards her “Shit, I’m sorry Granger.”

Hermione looked at him in surprise at the apology. “Hermione.”

“What?”

“Call me Hermione, Draco.” 

Draco stared back at her for a moment, watching her wipe the tears from her eyes. “Ok, Hermione.” He cleared his throat and looked back at the tree once again. 

“Why are you here over break?” He asked after a few silent moments.

“My parents don’t know who I am yet.” She responded quietly.

“What do you mean they don’t know who you are?” He asked, confused.

“I modified their memories and sent them to Australia during the war for protection. I was able to find them just last month but I haven’t been able to reverse the memory charm yet.” Hermione paused for a moment and looked down at the tree star in her hands. “Healers from St. Mungos are helping me research ideas but until then, my parents will be in Australia, happy and healthy, but with no memory of their lives here.” She whispered the last part. 

Draco looked at her, speechless. “I had no idea.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Well, you know where my parents are.”

“Do you miss them?” She asked looking up to catch his gaze. 

He shrugged his shoulders. “I miss my mother. Christmas was my mother’s favorite holiday and she insisted that I help her decorate the trees every year without magic.” 

“Trees? As in plural?”

Draco snorted and smiled at her. “Yes, plural. Malfoy manor is quite large, we had at least 20 trees if you counted the small ones in the kitchen and each loo. My favorite was always in the drawing-room.”

Hermione stiffened and grabbed her forearm as Draco mentioned the drawing-room. 

Draco reached over and gently removed her hand to see the scarred flesh on her arm. “I’m sorry she did this to you,” he said as he ran his fingers over the letters. 

Hermione’s eyes widened at the contact. Feeling bold she reached for his wrist and pulled the sleeve of his jumper up to see if the mark was still on him. She was surprised to see angry-looking welts in the shape of the dark mark where the black used to mar his pale skin. 

Draco rolled his eyes and pulled his sleeve up even higher. “I’ve been trying to remove it but the damn thing is just going to taunt me the rest of my life.” He winced as the air of the room came in contact with a few open areas. As soon as the skin would heal, he’d continue with the removal process, his most recent attempt finally got the last of the black off of his skin. 

Hermione took out her wand and whispered a healing charm, pointing her wand at his arm. The sores immediately healed, leaving behind pink scars, still quite visible but without the pain.

Draco looked at her, impressed. Hermione smiled shyly and said, “I had a lot of practice while on the run with Ron and Harry.”

“Where are Weasley and Potter this year?” He asked. “I was surprised to not see them when the term began. I figured you would have forced them to join you here.” Draco bumped his shoulder into her teasingly.

Hermione laughed. “I did ask them to join me but Harry insisted on helping the Aurors in their attempts to capture the rest of the death eaters. Ron wanted to help him but he’s been helping his brother George in his joke shop and staying close to his family after they lost his other brother Fred. Mrs. Weasley is having a very hard time coping.” 

Draco nodded his head, “I can understand that.” 

They both turned their eyes back to the tree in front of them, comfortable in the presence of each other. After a few minutes of contemplation, Draco stood up and clapped his hands together. “Alright, we have a tree to decorate,” He said matter of factly. “What else do you have in this box, Granger?” He started pulling a few things out at random, not understanding what any of it was. 

“Hermione.” She replied smacking his hand away. She laughed at his wounded face and grabbed the items back from him. “My mum and dad always kept my Christmas crafts from each year and when I shipped them off to Australia I packed all of their memories of me to take with me.” She blushed as she held up a marshmallow snowman, horribly withered from age. “I made this when I was 5.” 

Draco tipped his head back and laughed out loud. “It’s hideous Hermione!” 

“I know!” She blurted out, putting her hands over her eyes as she laughed along with him.

He gingerly reached in and pulled out a popsicle stick photo frame she had made when she was 8, her primary school photo from that year stuck in the center. “You were cute as a kid,” He said handing her the ornament.

She took it from his hands and snorted in reply, “Thanks Draco.”

She hung the ornament and a few others up on the tree before turning back towards Draco, watching him line up some plain colored balls on the bench where they sat.

“Did you decide which tree you wanted to mimic?” She asked him curious to what he chose.

“I did,” He replied pointing his wand at the first bauble. He whispered an incantation and she watched as the ornament turned into a small snow globe with a hook on the top. She bent down to get a closer look and saw a small blonde boy riding on a broomstick, charmed to fly around in the globe as the snow floated around him. 

As she watched the little boy flying, Draco transformed the next few balls into identical globes, each with a different scene inside. She saw what looked to be the same boy standing proud, sporting a Slytherin scarf. The one next to it showed a much younger blonde boy holding the hand of a beautiful blonde woman.

Hermione looked up at Draco to see him smiling softly at her. “My mother would get me a new one each year to add to the tree in my room. Father thought they were stupid and I acted unimpressed when I would open it but it was always my favorite gift.” He stopped talking, his eyes staring far off into the distance. 

Hermione reached out and touched his hand, breaking him from his stare. He looked at her and said “This will be the second year without a new one. Last year we didn't celebrate the holidays with him in the manor. Not that there would have been any good memories from the year to put inside anyways.”

Draco cleared his throat, grabbed the few globes and started hanging them on the tree. Hermione watched him for a moment before joining him with the decorating. Without discussing it, they each added a few traditional baubles and garland to flesh out their decorations and when their boxes were empty, they stood back and looked at their handy work.

“It looks good. It reminds me of home,” Hermione said stepping closer to Draco. 

“Just a minute,” he replied, reaching down between them to grab her gaudy star topper. Draco grabbed his wand and charmed the star up to the top of the tree, setting it down gently. “Now it’s done,” he said. 

Hermione grinned at him. “Wait, one more thing!” She walked towards the tree, trying to conceal what was in her hand. After a moment she stepped back and gestured him forward. In the center, she had placed a new snow globe. Inside was a Christmas tree being decorated by a blonde man and a bushy-haired brunette woman, each of them wearing a smile. 

“Happy Christmas, Draco,” Hermione said as she wound her arm around his waist.

He smiled down at her and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head. “Happy Christmas, Hermione.”


End file.
